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Friday, July 29, 2011

Are you a Conscious Listener?

Julian Treasure speaks in this TEDtalks video, about conscious listening.

It reminded me of the listening classes we had to complete when I was in Grade 4. We wore headphones and listened to sounds, stories and voices and then had assignments to complete around those sounds. It made me very aware of "listening" as a specific act I could consciously engage in. I think I became a more conscious listener by participating in the classes...at least for a few years.

Do you remember learning to listen?

Was listening taught as a subject when you were in school?

Early childhood

I remember being brought back to the everyday world of listening via my nephew's toddlerhood. He would be pointing to the plane in the sky before I could even hear it coming. His lack of listening filters reminded me I had filters and defenses around listening. Hanging out with him brought consciousness to my listening.

Deaf listeners

This fall I have a student registered in a class who we have recently discovered is deaf. The way this child listens is different from the way most other children listen. And yes, I do think this child listens even with the challenges of being deaf.

Becoming conscious again and again I'm becoming conscious about listening again. You'd think as a music teacher I'd always be conscious of listening with all the sounds and songs and instruments we use.

Well...we all have patterns and fall into routines. It's the thought that I will be planning listening activities that need to accomodate this deaf child that has me waking up...again!